Recently, I hosted a free seminar for my MFP community. As I continued to explore the purposes of education, curiosity, and evolution, the idea of providing an in-person seminar with practical application came to my mind.

The seminar was about telling my members exactly what CrossFit is, and how I specifically integrate the methodology at MFP. As for my community and many others, I observed a lack of awareness and curiosity about the methodology in its purest form. Although some may not find this question of “What is CrossFit” important, I have come to value this idea of finally communicating the purpose of CrossFit in hopes of enlightening my community, and many others.

Why Host a Seminar?

1. Throughout my years of coaching, describing what CrossFit is at its purest form is a challenge. See the videos to understand why.

2. Some people have never heard of CrossFit before. Most people who have never stepped foot in a CrossFit gym have a misunderstanding of what it entails.

3. There are plenty of people who are “CrossFit curious”. They’re intrigued by it. Maybe they have some friends or family members who do CrossFit, but they are reluctant to take the leap of faith to try it.

4. Many people are just beginning their CrossFit journeys – excited and enthusiastic but not aware of the rich history and the methodology’s evolution. Even if you are an “experienced Crossfitter,” it is worthwhile to take a step back and educate yourself on the origins of the methodology you practice. Even for “experts,” there is always something new to learn, particularly when you focus on the basics.

5. As a leader and affiliate owner, it is my duty to educate my community. In reality, most of my members do not seek out education on CrossFit. They come to sweat and feel good about themselves. Regardless, my goal is to support the greater good of the brand to expose the limitless human potential that CrossFit provides.

At CrossFit MFP, I work with members from wonderfully diverse backgrounds. Throughout the day, classes are filled with an abundance of different people who are working towards the same common goal. They are performing the same workouts that differ by degree, not kind. Some are former collegiate athletes. Some are mothers and fathers. Some are 9-5 office workers. Some are medical professionals. Whatever the case may be, they all come together and experience the magic in the movement of CrossFit.

As I witness the growth and evolution of my members, I’m proud to see CrossFit become such a big part of their lives. As a coach and an affiliate owner, it’s my responsibility to provide a direct answer to that big question – what is CrossFit? Let’s dive into it. After reading this blog and watching the videos provided, you should have no doubts about what CrossFit is, how it came to be, and what makes it so special.

Being Present: Wholistically Engaged, Ready to Embrace

Early in my journey, I sought healing and purpose through CrossFit. I was primarily drawn to the competitive side of it. However, I quickly recognized that my purpose was not through competition. I found meaning through helping others achieve better lives – helping them achieve their wholistic potential.

With that said, when you start to think about CrossFit, first ask yourself the question – what do I want out of this? Why am I here?

In order to fully understand CrossFit and understand yourself, you need to have an open mind. As an affiliate owner, it’s my duty to provide you with knowledge and education. The educational experience you gain through CrossFit is unlike anything else in the world. It changed my life, and I hope it has a similar influence on your life.

The CrossFit Timeline: Greg Glassman and CrossFit’s Evolution

Greg Glassman is the founder of CrossFit. If you are brand new to CrossFit (joined a gym within the last year), you might not even know his name. However, if you have been around awhile (like me and many others), you’ll understand that he is both highly significant and controversial. There’s no need to get into the controversy of Glassman here because I’d like to focus on the good work, he has done to change millions of lives. I’d like to focus on his mission…his purpose.

Glassman focused on these principles:

• Move well and consistently well.

• Throw the ego in the trash. Focus on the process and long game.

• Once you have mastered movement, increase the intensity.

At its core, Glassman designed CrossFit to be a structured, measurable process to assess fitness. It was untraditional and for the stubborn folks in the industry, it ruffled some feathers. This led to some false claims about injuries and lawsuits (that CrossFit eventually won). At its core, it was designed to be safe, effective, measurable, and applicable for all walks of life.

“The magic is in the movement, the art is in the programming, the science is in the explanation, and the fun is in the community.”

“The needs of an Olympic athlete and our grandparents differ by degree not kind.”

–     Greg Glassman

Although CrossFit grew and evolved so much over the years, it was designed to be relevant for anyone. It is broad, general, and inclusive. Glassman’s vision involved a culmination of everything he saw in the fitness industry and life at large (sport and movement). It is a harmonious reflection of human movement, health, and potential – all packed into 60-minute classes.

CrossFit Aim and Prescription

CrossFit is officially defined as “Constantly varied functional movements performed at high intensity”.

A functional movement in the gym supplements your life outside of it. Training functional movements allows you to live life to its fullest, play more sports, run with your grandkids, get up off the ground, push and pull heavy weights, I think you get the point. In other words, your CrossFit training means that you are training to live life, building resilience to have as few limitations as possible. That’s the magic in the movement.

At a CrossFit Level One seminar, there are 9 foundational movements that you would learn. You should master these functional movement patterns before you try to get sexy with intensity.

CrossFit is special for many reasons, but one of them is standardizing movement patterns.

In addition to standardizing, CrossFit stands out through its emphasis on variance. We want to have a high range within our movement patterns to achieve a model of varied progression.

CrossFit creates so much variance, and it’s a beautiful thing to see people of all backgrounds achieve such physical aptitude and resilience.

Then, once you have mastered the movements – you are introduced to intensity. Intensity is good! It needs to be earned and utilized properly. However, every training method requires varying levels of intensity. Just remember, with intensity, I will always emphasize a commitment to efficiency.

With all of this in mind, we’re only just scratching the surface of CrossFit.

Defining Real Fitness

CrossFit defines a real fitness program as one that increases work capacity, across broad time and modal domains. Physical potential is about thriving, it’s about training our bodies to do more as we age. It’s about increasing every aspect of our health – our strength, our speed, our power, our endurance, everything. It’s about being an expert in everything, rather than specializing in just one thing. This is how you achieve real fitness. CrossFit defines and measures what it truly means to be fit.

Elite example of defining true fitness:

1. Run a sub-5:00 mile
2. Deadlift 500 pounds
3. 50 pull-ups

All performed right after the other.

Fitness is relative, but this is the impressive standard that CrossFit presents to its community. Take note of these important terms as you watch the presentation in the video above:

The 10 Components of Fitness

• Cardiovascular/respiratory endurance: Think O2!
• Stamina: Energy Efficiency
• Strength: Absolute Force
• Mobility/Range: ROM
• Power: Rapid Force
• Speed: Less time from A to B (Also, cyclical time of repeated movement)
• Coordination: Neurological/Movement Patterns
• Agility: Less transition time
• Balance: Center of gravity
• Accuracy: Movement Control (direction/intensity)

The Domains

• Monostructural
• Run/Bike
• Row/Swim
• Jump
• Gymnastics
• Anything Bodyweight, Push, and Pull
• “SLIPHS”
• Weightlifting
• External Load in Addition to Gravity

Metabolic Pathways:

• Phosphagen
  • Short (1-10s…up to 30s)
  • Anaerobic (Phosphocreatine)
  • Maximum intensity
• Glycolytic
  • Medium (30s-2:00…up to 20:00)
  • Anaerobic-Aerobic
  • Moderate to Threshold intensity
• Oxidative
  • Long
  • Aerobic (when do we transfer…THINK BREATHING)
  • Low intensity

CrossFit is about Health

I know that there is a lot of information being presented here; don’t get overwhelmed or lost in the weeds. Fundamentally, you only need to understand that CrossFit is about health. Are you physiologically, mentally, and spiritually healthy? Are you well-equipped to take on whatever life throws at you? How resilient are you as a human being? CrossFit is about helping you become as healthy, prepared, and capable as possible in every aspect of life. This was Greg Glassman’s mission. This is what mattered to him. The CrossFit Games are awesome. The competition is important, but more than anything, there is a powerful sense of purpose in CrossFit’s mission to help human beings achieve health in an inclusive, sustainable manner.

Debunking CrossFit Stigmas

I have gone into detail to debunk CrossFit stigmas in the past. CrossFit is about being in the right environment and being supported by the right people.

The original branding – Forging Elite Fitness – was not necessarily an accurate reflection of the magic that happened in CrossFit gyms everywhere. It seemed a bit intimidating and although not entirely inaccurate, it focused on the wrong goal. The goal is health, happiness, performance, and longevity. That is what matters more than anything else.

Low Barrier of Entry

CrossFit experienced exponential growth from 2010-2020 because of its low barrier to entry. You can become a certified CrossFit coach and open a gym in literally one weekend through the Level One Seminar. It’s both beautiful and bad. It opened opportunities for gyms to spread like wildfire worldwide. Glassman was very entrepreneurial and sometimes it was to a fault. Overall, I have found more positives than negatives in CrossFit’s unique sense of accessibility.

The very foundation of CrossFit involves inclusivity and accessibility. It’s about spreading fitness and changing lives, and it’s inherently a good thing to make this widely available for people. Not all gyms are created equal, but this is a movement of tremendous influence that is making the world a better place. If you have any questions about CrossFit stigmas, please reach out to me and I’d happy to discuss them with you.

MFP Approach to CrossFit

I focus on increasing diversity and inclusivity and achieving the fundamental goal of CrossFit. MFP sets a standard in coaching, programming, and movement; it encourages its members to grow and learn more every day.

MFP is about having:

• A wholistic approach
• Intensity protocols
• Injury management
• Structural balance
• Longevity

Are we traditional here? No, but that’s the point! CrossFit was never meant to be predictable or universal. It’s about balance and variance. It’s about health and longevity training, so we can live better and longer. There is no perfect approach to fitness. CrossFit inspires us to remain inquisitive students of life. At MFP, we remain curious and committed to a wholistic process.

Words can only do so much to describe both the CrossFit experience and the MFP experience. To fully understand that question – what is CrossFit? – you must take a leap of faith and step foot in a CrossFit gym. Experience the magic of the movement and the power of the community. You’ll find that it’s unlike anything you’ve ever experienced. CrossFit changes lives. CrossFit MFP changes lives, I’ve personally witnessed it. If you are new to CrossFit or are simply interested in beginning your CrossFit journey, I hope this helps. Remember, it’s about health. It will always be about health, and we don’t have to make health complicated. Get moving and experience CrossFit for yourself.

Interested in learning more?

Watch the full seminar here:

Attending a Level 1 Seminar.